Review of Brother Bear (2003) by Alexandria M — 10 Sep 2011

This is a story of an incredible journey of brotherhood. Three brothers begin their journeys to manhood with help from the ancestral spirits from their tribe. Each is given a totem, a symbol of their strengths as me, Sitka, the eagle of guardians, Denhai, the wisdom and Kenai the bear of love. Each one searching for the path their lives are supposed to take, encounter a bear and in an act of selflessness Sitka gives his life to protect his brothers. Kenai vows to avenge his brother's death and goes after the bear. After a struggle Kenai kills the bear and the spirits, Sitka's eagle spirit, turn Kenai into a bear. While on his Journey back to the place where the "lights touch the earth" he comes upon a bear cub, Koda, who has been separated from his mother. Angry with the spirits, Kenai is reluctant to follow Koda to the salmon run and to the place where the lights touch the earth but does so anyway. Throughout their journey Kenai becomes attached to the bear cub. He learns that not all bears are out to kill humans, and that bears think of humans as the "monsters". Once he meets the other bears at the salmon run he learns that it was Koda mother that he killed when the spirits turned him into the bear. Still being hunted by his brother Denhai, Kenai has to defend himself and Koda and just as Denahi is about to complete his mission to avenge his brother's deaths, Sitka turns Kenai back into a human. It is then that Kenai learns the true value of brotherhood and love. He learns that his brother's tried to protect him, avenge him, but most of all he realizes that Koda needs him as well. He asks Sitka to turn him back into a bear so he can stay with Koda. The two species now have learned to live together as one.

This movie is a fine example of the many of the primal religions over the world. The religions in which spirits and ancestors are of the utmost importance. This movie gives good examples of initiations as well. The brothers have to get their spirit totems in their manhood ceremony held by a shaman. The ancestor spirits hold deep value as well. They are there to keep balance and help the humans learn to respect the animal community. It shows how certain religions believe in the balance of nature as well as the importance of family and ancestors.